Aurora opened her eyes slightly, the soft light from the ceiling lamp shining down. Her head was throbbing, like a hammer. She immediately jumped up, her breathing was rapid, her green eyes were wide open, and she said in a panic:
"Where… is the snow fox?!"
In front of her, F4 sat beside the bed, their eyes were observing intently. Blacke was the first to speak, his voice low but gentle:
"It was taken to the pet clinic. Don't worry."
Aurora gasped, still not willing to sit still. She gripped the bedsheet tightly, her eyes were watery:
"I want to see it. Now."
Easton frowned slightly, but Blacke just sighed, unable to refuse that determined gaze. He nodded slightly:
"Okay. Let's go."
The four of them carried Aurora downstairs. In the pet clinic, soft white light filled the space. On the small bed lined with soft blankets, the snow fox was lying curled up, breathing evenly, its white fur undulating with each beat.
Aurora was stunned, her heart seemed to relax. Her green eyes were filled with tears, but quickly a relieved smile appeared. She approached, gently sat down, her trembling hand stroking the soft fur:
"Sleep well… thank goodness…"
Zane crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, glanced at Aurora, then smiled half-heartedly:
"If you love it so much… then keep it. Keep it as a pet."
Aurora lifted her head slightly, shaking her head firmly. Her voice was soft but determined:
"No. It belongs to the wild. I just want it to recover and return to the forest… where it can truly live freely."
F4 was silent for a moment. Blacke looked at her for a long time, his eyes softening:
"Okay. Whatever you decide, we will do as you wish."
Easton stepped closer, his voice low and slightly worried:
"Does your head still hurt?"
Aurora gently rubbed her temples, forcing a smile:
"It's okay. I can handle it."
Knox raised his eyebrows, squatted down beside her, and gently stroked Aurora's head, his voice half-indulgent and half-reproachful:
"Stubborn. Another bad habit of loving animals more than yourself."
Aurora didn't reply. She just smiled, bent down, and continued to stroke the snow fox's white fur, her eyes so gentle that the entire room seemed to quiet down.
In that moment, no one in F4 said anything more, just stood still, quietly watching the little girl embrace the gentleness and mystery in every gesture.
Aurora sat by the small hospital bed, her slender hand gently stroking the snow fox's soft white fur. It breathed evenly, its heartbeat weak but still strong. Aurora bowed her head slightly, her eyes were watery but clear:
Aurora (whispering):
"Good night, little one… don't be afraid anymore. Outside… the snow is still falling, the wind is still blowing, nature is still waiting for you to return."
The door gently closed, F4 pretended to leave. But as soon as Aurora smiled and nodded, they only went out a few steps and then turned back, quietly standing behind the half-open door. In the light reflected in the mirror, Aurora glanced quickly at the door, the corners of her lips curved slightly she knew they were testing her.
Instead of appearing embarrassed, Aurora continued to talk to the fox in a natural voice, as if whispering to her own heart.
Aurora (stroking the fox's fur, smiling slightly):
"You know, someone is eavesdropping. But I'm not angry… because I understand, they're worried about me. After all… people are always suspicious of things they don't understand."
Outside the door, Knox raised his eyebrows slightly, glancing at Easton.
Knox (whispering):
"She knows we're here."
Easton (low voice, thoughtful eyes):
"No… maybe it's an accident. But maybe… she really has a connection with nature, and maybe...."
Blacke said nothing, just looked at Aurora in the mirror. In that moment, he saw the little girl bending down, her gentle face seemed to blend into the pale light from the window.
Aurora (still talking to the fox):
"I don't need to possess you… I just want you to live freely, in my own sky. If we're destined… maybe we'll meet again on the white ice grassland."
Zane pursed his lips, smiled slightly, his voice had a hint of surprise:
Zane:
"This girl… is really different from all the young ladies I've ever met."
Aurora gently placed her hand near the fox's nose, feeling the warm breath. Her eyes slowly closed, a gentle smile appeared on her lips:
Aurora:
"Good night… little spirit beast."
At that moment, F4 stood outside the door, their hearts both warm and confused. Not only did they see that Aurora truly loved animals, but they also realized this girl was well aware of their presence, but still chose to be gentle and sincere.
Knox slightly curled his lips, whispering almost teasingly:
Knox:
"How interesting... this girl, she's getting more and more unpredictable."
The door opened, F4 walked in with a nonchalant look as if they had just returned from "shopping". But as soon as the four of them entered, Aurora looked up, her eyes shining with mischief, the corners of her lips curled into a half-joking, half-challenging smile.
Aurora (smiling softly):
"Did it take long to go shopping? Or... did it take that long to eavesdrop outside the door?"
The atmosphere suddenly became quiet. Blacke blinked, Easton pretended to cough, Knox raised his eyebrows but the corners of his lips curved slightly, and Zane shook his head and laughed helplessly. Everyone knew that Aurora had noticed from the beginning.
Aurora didn't say anything more, just bent down to pet the snow fox. She spoke softly, her voice gentle but full of determination:
Aurora:
"She's fine… she needs to return to the snow forest quickly. She doesn't belong here."
At that moment, the small white ears moved, the fox opened its eyes. It looked at Aurora for a long time, its clear eyes as if it had realized something.
Easton (surprised):
"Wait… she's awake?"
F4 immediately called the veterinarian in to check. The middle-aged doctor, after a thorough examination, could hardly believe his eyes.
Veterinarian (surprised):
"Impossible… she was in a critical condition just now. And now… she's completely recovered. As if she had never been injured!"
Aurora smiled slightly, breathing a sigh of relief. She knew better than anyone why the fox recovered so quickly, but she remained silent and did not explain.
F4 stood there, everyone glanced at each other, a vague suspicion arose in their hearts. Blacke squinted, Knox crossed his arms, Easton was silent, and Zane shrugged, but his eyes were also full of questions.
Aurora seemed to guess that thought, then smiled slightly and spoke:
Aurora:
"Don't look at me like that. I find it strange too. But… maybe I'm compatible with animals. Anyway… I have to go back to America tomorrow, school is still unfinished. I can't stay here forever."
Her words made F4 silent, but their hearts became even more suspicious. Aurora seemed to be deliberately trying to distract them, and they couldn't bring themselves to question her.
At that moment, the snow fox gently jumped down from the bed. It walked towards Aurora, then suddenly bowed its head very low, its movements graceful and solemn as if it was performing a ceremony before a queen.
The whole room seemed to freeze. Aurora was momentarily stunned, then chuckled softly, bowing down and responding by lightly touching its head.
Veterinarian (happy, touched):
"It's amazing… I've never seen a spirit beast act like that. You and it… it's like you have a special bond."
Aurora smiled slightly, her eyes sparkling, replying with a half-joking, half-serious sentence:
Aurora:
"Maybe… it chose me."
The whole room burst into laughter, but F4 just looked at each other in silence. Aurora's smile was beautiful at this moment, but in their hearts, doubt grew even more.